As young bunnies Tigger and Shadow had a distressing tendency to regularly disappear and leave a trail of damage in their wake. In the evenings, we liked to hang out in the living room watching TV or reading. We found ourselves constantly running around to find out what the funny chewing sounds were. So we decided to think up a fun activity for them that would encourage them to spend some time with us in the living room for easier supervision. As kids we played in sheet tents and forts. So we made a bunny tunnel for Tigger and Shadow.
We got some cardboard box forms and folded them in on themselves to create open run through boxes. We found a big four-foot by six-foot sea grass rug and put that down over the living room rug. We placed five of the open boxes in a row across the sea grass rug. Then we draped a flat single sheet over the boxes.
Ah the sweetness of supervised bunny play! They race through the tunnel at top speed for bunny runs. At other times, the tunnel is used as sanctuary to chew some cardboard or flop down to take a nap. They like to go burrowing under the edges of the sheet to enter and exit the tunnel from the sides. They take flying leaps over the tunnel. At other times they become architects and change the flow of the tunnel by rearranging the alignment of the boxes.
Sometimes we lift an edge of the sheet up and down and play Peek-a-Bunny with them. At times when we peek into the tunnel, we find Tigger and Shadow sharing some snuggle time and the look they give us is clear, “We want to be alone, thank you very much!”
At six years old, Tigger and Shadow started to slow down a bit. We would throw another sheet over the back and sides of their cage at night to protect them from drafts. We were taking it off in the morning until one day we left it on and they started burrowing under that sheet and using it as another tunnel area. That became another favorite play and nap time spot. They will go into the back corners and make a little sheet pocket for themselves pulling the sheet under and around, tucking themselves into the corner. They do such a good job tucking themselves in, it is hard to see they are hidden there.
We love that this encouraged them to spend more time with us, allowing us to see and enjoy more of their play. It is so easy to maintain too. The sheets get popped in the washer on a regular basis. Both sheets and boxes are inexpensive to replace if they become too chewed. Anytime they chew a hole that starts to near head size, we throw out the sheet. We don’t want a bunny getting stuck in a sheet! Since the bottom of the tunnel area is a seagrass rug, we don’t have to worry if they want to chew the flooring either.
What a magical bunny playground can be created with a sheet and some boxes!
